Sundance is about to begin again, the yearly event that showcases the best independent (and “independent”) films that will be hitting theaters and possibly become awards contenders. The biggest film to emerge out of Sundance last year was best picture nomineeBeasts of the Southern Wild, which is currently up for a number of Oscars. Mark Webber‘s End of Love also came out of 2012′s Sundance, and its fate is that it’s about to hit Video On Demand, and will have a limited theatrical run.

And it speaks to the changing ways of Sundance. It used to be that you might hit the Harvey Weinstein jackpot, which meant intense bidding wars and a big payout (though sometimes the films that got bid up would fizzle out by the time they hit theaters), or you’d disappear entirely. Now films are more likely to find distribution at some point, and now that VOD is a viable option, more low budget/indie films are readily available to the public. Here’s the trailer:

Damon worked in the film business as a Film Buyer for a theater chain for many years, which gives him an interesting perspective on the numbers. He's written for Collider, Chud, Screencrush, The DVD Journal and Binaryflix online, and was published by The New York Times and Willamette Week, along with his college, high school and middle school papers.